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It was almost a week ago that our partner Gulf Racing and its iconic orange and blue Porsche 991 RSR, took their position on the start grid alongside 59 fierce competitors in the 84th year of the world-renowned Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race. Few drivers could predict what the race would bring, but closing minutes would mark the 18th Le Mans victory for Porsche.

Race start at 3pm on Saturday dealt immediate challenges after downpours and a very greasy track forced all drivers behind a safety car. Gulf Racing driver, Adam Carroll, tackled the team’s first stint brilliantly, and what followed proved to be a strong and problem-free race; the Porsche 991 RSR powering through reliably, aided by efficient pit stops and consistent driving.

All three drivers (Ben Barker, Adam Carroll and Mike Wainwright) bagged double stints on Saturday as weather conditions gradually improved, and Ben and Adam laid down further foundations for the P5 results during the night laps, ready for Mike to take over at dawn, maintaining 5th before handing over to Ben for the final stint, securing their position.

Commenting on a video of that moment, Ben said, “I was lucky enough to do the final stint and cross the line. So much passion and love from the Gulf Racing crew on the pit wall, emotional to say the least!” – Ben Barker Racing, Facebook

It was a proud moment for all of us here at Walero to witness all members of the Gulf Racing team celebrate a well-earned pint after hours of grafting, devotion and team effort. A huge congratulations!

The team will be heading to Nurburgring in July for a 6-hour race and if they do it like they did it in Le Mans, we have no doubt they are sure to climb those championship standings.

The team has been hard at work over the last fortnight, testing the iconic orange and blue Porsche 991 RSR, as well as preparing all three drivers for one of the most famous endurance races in the motorsports calendar as part of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The atmosphere has been building up over the weeks but excitement levels reached new heights last night when cheering crowds gathered from near and far to give support to the drivers during the Le Mans Driver Parade! There have been days of waiting but now the stage is well and truly set.

All that’s left to say is one last ‘Bonne Chance!’ to our partner, Gulf Racing! Have an amazing race, guys!

Race start is 3pm today. You can follow the drivers during the race by clicking here.

In 2016, Walero partner Gulf Racing UK took the step up they had been preparing for over the last two seasons and entered the FIA World Endurance Championship – nine races around the globe of fierce competition against the best endurance racing teams in the world.

The cornerstone event of this mighty challenge is the 24 hours of Le Mans – arguably the greatest motor race on the international calendar and one steeped in history for the iconic Gulf brand.

“Position One has the facility to not only coach the driver in terms of his skill set behind the wheel, but also test, evaluate and ultimately improve the driver’s performance from a biomechanical perspective.With the ability to control the environmental variables inside the virtual cockpit, we can also perform some very well controlled analytical assessments on the driver’s equipment.” – Matt Beers, Technical Director at Position One.

It was with this in mind that Position One joined forces with Gulf Racing and their fireproof base-layer supplier, Walero, to evaluate relative performance and gather some useful data for both parties to better understand the endurance racing scenario and their part in it.

“The driver [FIA WEC driver Ben Barker] completed two 30-minute stints of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit on the Position One Motorsport motion simulator in full racing kit. The first stint was completed wearing the Walero base layers and the second stint was completed wearing alternative base layers. Resting heart rate and blood pressure were both recorded and the second stint could not begin until the driver had returned to these levels. The simulator was set at a controlled ambient temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. This temperature was chosen because it represents the upper limit of what cockpit temperature is permitted in the World Endurance Championship. Bodyweight (kg) was measured before and after stints on the simulator and water intake was controlled in order tocarry out accurate sweat-testing procedures. Heart rate and core body temperature were then recorded every 60 seconds in real-time using the BioCOM physiological monitoring system during the 30-minute stints on the simulator.” – John Camilleri, Director & Owner at Boomerang Pro Fitness

Whilst only a small sample data set, the initial testing showed some interesting results, demonstrating a reduced sweat rate and correspondingly a reduced heart rate during the stint conducted in the Walero kit, suggesting more efficiency at maintaining a homeostatic balance and also giving the team an indication of Barker’s physiological (as well as on-track) performance under those specific conditions in real-time.

“What this shows is that with the correct facility, equipment and expertise, there is a huge amount we can do in preparing for this kind of racing activity, be that a controlled assessment of kit, or an environmental assessment and resultant preparation and training programme for a driver. Of course, all these elements are interlinked and we can use the simulator and other facilities for the mutual evaluations and then target specific development in each area.” – Matt Beers

Gulf Racing will travel to Le Mans in the knowledge they have made the right choice of partner in Walero Motorsport and Position One has helped them head to France for the race as well prepared as they can be.

Walero is proud to support all its partners in their upcoming race events and would like to wish all of them the best of luck in the season ahead!

We are delighted to announce our new partnership for 2016 with Gulf Racing in the World Endurance Championship.

Walero is pleased to announce a new partnership with Gulf Racing for the 2016 season. Working together to provide the WEC race team, drivers and pit-crew with the ultimate solution for personal trackside performance and comfort. Walero brings the most technologically advanced range of competition base layers. The FIA 8856-200 and SFI 3.3 approved garments are fireproof and regulate the body’s temperature in either hot or cold climates, ensuring that the wearer stays comfortable and protected.

Matt Beers, Gulf Racing Team Manager, said: “Stepping up from ELMS to the WEC we looked at all of the factors that affect personal performance, the equipment the team use needs to be the best in the business for us to achieve our goal – to be World Champions. The Walero system ticks all our boxes for a fireproof base layer, comfort, performance, quality; it was the perfect choice for both the drivers and pit crew.”

Fiona James, Walero Founder, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering Gulf Racing in the WEC. We are very proud of our product; its unique properties are perfect for endurance racing where every second counts. Our garments and the technology behind them were developed for NASA astronauts to stabilise their body temperature. This means that not only is heat stress reduced but also dehydration, both combining to improve performance and safety. We have worked hard to develop the product and this year our focus is to raise our brand awareness. Gulf Racing have high ambitions, and this makes them the ideal partner to demonstrate our belief in the product and the importance of being comfortable despite the conditions.”

Gulf Racing are participating in the World Endurance Championship in 2016 taking the iconic Blue and Orange across the globe and to the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans with a select group of technical and commercial partners.

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